EM favourite England? National coach Gareth Southgate in an interview

Gareth Southgate has been the coach of the English national football team for almost eight years. His squad impresses with its individual quality and great depth, which is why it is considered one of the favorites for the European Championship title in Germany. It would be the first time that England has won a continental or world championship since 1966. The fans have high expectations of the 53-year-old Southgate and his team.

Gareth Southgate, how do you perceive the mood in England towards the national team?

People are excited. They see that we have some good young professionals and that England will be strong not only now but also in the years to come. Young players like Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka have already won 30 to 40 caps. They will play for England for a long time.

And what did you think of the atmosphere at the beginning of your term in office in September 2016?

The feeling between the public and the team was disturbed. That has changed. People now see that there is more solidarity, the players are committed and they enjoy representing England.

What are the reasons?

Talking to the media used to be confrontational. But that’s not fun and it doesn’t help anyone. So our aim was to get the players talking and to make them feel comfortable talking about England. We’ve become more open, social media has helped with that. We can show pictures of the team behind the scenes. And the players can present themselves as they really are.

Aren’t you worried that players might cause controversy with posts on social media?

No, I don’t lie awake at night worrying about what they might do tomorrow. Our players are young, famous and certainly not perfect – but they are not prima donnas.

It is noticeable that some English top performers are now playing for top foreign clubs, such as captain Harry Kane at FC Bayern and Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid. What influence does this have?

It is good for every player to live in another country. When I was coach at Middlesbrough FC (note: 2006 to 2009), Robert Huth played there. He had left Germany at a young age to move to Chelsea FC. Huth seemed much more mature than the English players of the same age – because he had to adapt to a new country and speak a different language. Historically, we English have not done this well. We are on an island and cannot get off it. That was a problem because the development of our football lagged behind many European countries for a long time.

Do the players ask Harry Kane what the Bundesliga and life in Munich are like?

Yes, the players like to experience new things. That brings energy to the group. When Kieran Trippier was one of the first to move abroad to Atlético Madrid in 2019, everyone asked: “What is it like in Spain? What are the coaches like, the opponents, the stadiums?” That helps us when we play against other teams because there are no more secrets. When the English players all played in England, the opponents were a bit of a mystery to us. Maybe we were arrogant, thinking we were better than we were.

How do you see the situation of your captain Harry Kane at Bayern?

He will be disappointed that it wasn’t enough for a title. But it will be good for him to make the change to play for a big club where you have to win every week. Because that’s our situation too. If we don’t play well, it’s a disaster. The more players internalize this, the better.

Would you have believed that Bellingham would immediately become a world-class player after his move from Dortmund to Real Madrid – for 105 million euros?

For Jude, growing up outside of England has been a positive thing because our footballing public can be challenging. He’s still a bit of an unknown here, even though he’s hugely popular, so everyone is excited to see him in the national team. It would be different if he played for an English club.

How is the collaboration with Bellingham?

Most of the conversations have been about him realising how his world has changed. Jude copes very well with everything, but he is only 20 years old. When I used to play with David Beckham, his world was different – just like Jude’s world is now. He doesn’t have the normal life of a 20-year-old.

Is Bellingham aware of this?

Definitely, he sees the difference. But it wouldn’t be normal if there weren’t things that were difficult. He was here at the start of the season (Southgate raises his hand, indicating a very high level), then he got injured. It was impossible for him to maintain that level throughout the season. Hopefully we’ll see a good version of him at the Euros. One of his main strengths is his mentality. It reminds me a little of Steven Gerrard’s, it radiates out to the team. When a game is going in the opponent’s direction, Jude can take control of the match and make the difference.

Is the current England squad the best you have ever had?

Yes, because the team has developed even further since the quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup. We have become more aggressive and offensive – and have more experience. We also have good depth in the squad.

Does this quality mean that you have to win the European Championship?

We have never won the tournament, so it shouldn’t be a burden. If I am the coach of Germany, I have to take on all the DFB teams that have won tournaments before. But when we were in the Euro final in 2021, we realized that the whole nation is carrying a certain burden. Nevertheless, the players should be aware that the lost final is not their fault. What happened in the past decades should be seen as a challenge by today’s generation. They can now make history.

Is the European Championship your last chance to win a title with England?

If I want to be an excellent coach, I have to deliver in the big moments. If we don’t win, there’s a good chance that I won’t be the coach of the England national team after the European Championships. In that sense, it would really have been the last chance. In international football, it’s normal that after every tournament, almost half of all national coaches resign from their posts. I’ve been in the post for eight years now. I know that you can’t keep telling the public: “Just a little bit longer . . .” Eventually, people will lose faith in the message.

When you took office, could you imagine being England coach for eight years?

No, because not many have managed that. My focus was on developing the team. We had relied on experienced professionals for a long time, so we tried to give young players a chance.

What was the key moment?

The round of 16 victory against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup. We won a knockout match for the first time since 2006 – and on penalties, too. Those were two big hurdles for England that we overcame at once. But I felt more confident after qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. That was a decisive moment because we started to bring in young players. From then on, we were able to make bolder decisions.

You received the most criticism after the 2021 European Championship final. You brought on the talented Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho shortly before the end of extra time and immediately nominated them for the penalty shootout. Both missed and England lost. What do you think about the decision today?

The penalty statistics of many experienced players were not good and still are not. If Raheem Sterling, whose record is around 30 percent, had missed, I would have said to myself: “Sure, only 30 percent.” Some people also said we should not have made any substitutions or should have used the players earlier. But Argentina also brought on Paulo Dybala in the 2022 World Cup final only two minutes before the end of extra time – and he scored in the penalty shootout. Nobody talks about that. The coach’s decisions are evaluated when the result is known. But I have to make them beforehand.

As a player, you once missed the decisive penalty in the semi-final of the 1996 European Championship against Germany. What hurt more, 1996 or 2021?

In 1996, I probably received more understanding from the public. In 2021, I felt more of a sense of responsibility for the nation and criticism – as if the cohesion in the country had suddenly disappeared during the tournament.

You once said that your missed penalty would hurt forever. Could you put it behind you if England won the title in Germany?

No, because it wasn’t just about me back then, but about everyone I played with. I don’t think that way about the players who missed the penalties in the European Championship final three years ago, because we had 120 minutes to win the game. The defeat wasn’t their fault. I, on the other hand, had this stupid idea in my head that everything was my fault in 1996, even though we still had to play in the final. The older I get, the more I understand that. But I still carry the personal pain inside me. It will probably never change.